Controlling and braking device for ships&#39; gyroscopes



Oct. 27, 1925- 1,558,722

H. H. THOMPSON CONTROLLING AND BRAKING DEVICE FOR SHIPS GYROSCOPES Original Filed July 23, 191:7:

2 Sheets-Sheet l I awweutoz Oct. 27, 1925- H. H. THOMPSON CONTROLLING AND BRAKING DEVICE FOR sun's nYRoscoPEs Original Filed July 2:5, 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,558,722 PATENT OFF ice- HERBERT n. THOMPSON, or BROOKLYN NEW YO K, ASSIGNO'R TO THE srERRY GYRO- scorn COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING AND BRAKING DEVICE FOR SHIPS GYROSCOPES.

Continuation of application Serial No. 182,189, filed July 23, 1917. This application filed August 31 1922.

1 Serial No. 585,407.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LIIERBERT H. TI-IoMrsoN, a citizen of theUnited States of America, residing at Brooklyn, New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling and Braking Devices for Ships Gyroscopes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to large gyroscopes such as those empyloyed to stabilize or roll ships. The control of gyroscopes of this size and character has been found very difficult owing to the enormous forces involved 1 and the necessity for bringing the gyroscope to rest at least twice during each roll of the ship. Difficulty has also been experienced'in limiting the speed of the gyroscope. Another objection to such gyroscopes has been the large amount of power they require, both to drive the rotor and to control its oscillations.

In order to control and successfully brake its oscillations, powerful brakes have been employed which waste a great amount of energy and produce a large amount of heat which it is necessary to dissipate.

The purpose of this invention is to obvi-- ate the necessity for such wasteful brakes or at least for brakes of such large capacity and to make use of the force heretofore wasted in braking the gyroscope in assisting in driving the rotor of the gyroscope.

Electricity is now considered the preferred manner of driving such gyroscopes as illustrated in my invention for electrically driven gyroscopes.

My invention is also equally well adapted to either the so called passive or Schlick type stabilizer, or the active or Sperry type of gyroscope.

This invention also has application to stabilizing devices for ships of other than gyroscopic character, since in all such devices, the problem of acceleratingand decelerating a moving mass during the comparatively short rolling cycle of the ship is an important one which is usually present and which is difficult to overcome.

Since in illustrating and describing the application of my invention to an active gyroscope, its applicationwill at once be apparent to the passive gyroscope and to other types of stabilizers, I have chosen the former device to illustrate the invention. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application for controlling and braking devices for ship gyroscopes, filed July 23d, 1917, Serial No. 182189. 2

Referring to the drawings in which what I now consider to be the preferred forms of my invention are shown:

4 Fig. 4: is a partial diagram; illustrating a modification of the form shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the control gyroscope.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the gyroscope is shown as'comprising a casing 1 in which is journaled in vertical bearings 2 and 3, the rotor 4; of the gyroscope. The casing or rotor bearing frame is mounted for oscillation on normally horizontal trunnions 5 and 6 supported by heavy brackets 7 and E5 on the floor of the ship. Trunnions 5 and 6 are preferably placed athwartships as indicated in Fig. 2 by the arrow L representing the fore and aft line of the ship. Preferably also the center of gravity of the gyroscope is placed below its trunnions so that the gyroscope is decidedly pendulous, to aid in braking the precession. The gyroscope is shown as driven by placing on the rotor shaft an armature 9 of an electric motor, the field 10 being supported from casing 1.

In the form shown the motor is illustrated as an induction motor. The oscillations of the gyroscope about trunnions 5 and 6 are controlled by a motor or other translating device 12 which is shown as geared to the casing by pinion 13 on the motor shaft and a large gear section 14 on the gyro casing.

The motor 12 is adapted to be controlled from the auxiliary control gyroscope19, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. The said gyroscope is mounted for precession about a vertical axis, the rotor being mounted on a horizontal spinning axis which is placed athwartship. As soon as the-ship starts to roll in one direction or the other the precession of the control gyro will move Y to bring it to rest.

a contact 22 mounted thereon into contact with either one or the other of relatively stationary contacts 23 or 24 and complete the circuits hereinafter described.

Current for thismotor and also 'for the control apparatus is represented as furnished from a turbo-generator set or the like comprising an A. G. generator 112, a main D. 0. generator or dynamo-electric machine 112, which preferably has a plurality of field windings 115, 116 and 125 for the purpose of causing said machine to act as a motor driven from the precession motor 40 as a generator. Aseparate armature winding 113 may be provided for field 125, if desired.

The armature 40 of motor 12 is directly connected with the armature 114 of generator 112, the reversal of motor 12 being accomplished by reversing the field of the generator 112 which is provided with oppositely wound field coils115 and 116. In order to limit the speed of precession, the separately-excited field 41 thereof may be strengthened when the precession speed exceeds a predetermined value. To effect this purpose a series coil 48 may be employed which is placed in series with the armature. A pivoted armature 49 is held against the core of said coil and against the action of the spring 50 as long as sufficient current flows in the coil. lVhen, however, the armature current falls below a predetermined value, or when, in other words, the speed of the motor becomes too high, the spring 50 withdraws armature 49 and completes the contact with point 51 thereby throwing into circuit an auxiliary field 52 on motor 12 and increasing the strength of the field. By this or equivalent means, the counter electromotive force of the motor is raised so that its speed will be reduced.

lVhen the stabilizing gyroscope ap proaches the limit of its oscillation in any direction, means are employed to exert a maximum braking force on the gyroscope For this purpose the main gyro isprovided with an arm or trolley 26 mounted on casing 1 and adapted to contact with and slide across contact sectors 27 and 28 positioned at predetermined angles to the vertical. The contact 27 is placed in circuit with solenoid 63 and solenoid 90, while contact 28 is in circuit with solenoid 63 and solenoid 91. Resistance coils 69 are shown in circuit with magnet 63 to indicate that it is weaker than magnet 62. The field circuits of dynamo 112 are also carried through windings 118 and 119 forming a solenoid 62, opposed to solenoid 63. A

switch 64 is controlled by the solenoids 62 and 63 and is normally held in engagement with point 66, both by the excitation of w1ndings'118 and 119 and preferably also by spring 120, thereby maintaini g a 0 circuit between machines 112 and 12. The solenoids 90 and 91 control the circuits from the control gyroscope 19 by way of contacts 23 and 24 through normally closed switches 120 and 121 respectively. 7

The operation of the device is as follows: If the ship rolls so that gyroscope 19 processes to bring contact arm 22 in engagement with contact 24, field winding 115 and solenoid 118 will be excited. The switch 64 is therefore held in engagementwith contact 66 to maintain a closed circuit between machines 112 and 12. When precession has continued to the point where contact arm 26 engages contact 27, however, the circuit through coil 118 will be broken at 121 by the excitation of magnet 90, and at the same time solenoid 63 will be excited. This will throw the switch 64 into engagement with point 65 thereby disconnecting armature 40 from the armature 114 and connecting it to the auxiliary windings 113 and 125. The said windings are of low resistance and low counter electromotive force, relative to machine 112, so that a heavy current will be circulated in the circuit so completed, thereby braking the main gyro and at the same time aiding in driving the gyroscopic rotor by assisting the prime mover to drive the generator 112 in this instance. While the braking torque will decrease with the olecrease in precession, it is found that by this means, coupled with the pendulousness of gyroscope, it will be brought to rest without other braking means, although such may be employed, if desired.

WVhen the ship rolls in the other direction, gyroscope 19 will precess to cause contact 22 to engage contact 28. Switch 64 will again engage contact 66 to connect generator 112 to motor 12 which will be driven in the opposite direction because field coil 116 is energized. The oscillation of the main gyroscope will carry contact arm 26 into engagement with contact 28 to energize coil 91 to break the circuit through field coil 116 and to energize solenoid 63 to cause switch 64 to engage contact 65. Thereafter the action is as hereinbefore described.

If desired, a speed-governing device 15 may be provided, driven from the motor 12.

Said device may comprise a contact arm 16 which cooperates with contacts 17 and 18 to control the circuit through motor 12 and thus govern the rate of precession.

- It has been intimated hereinbefore that separate armature windings 118 and 114 need not be employed if desired. One convenient method of employing but .a single winding is illustrated in the modification of Fig. 4, wherein the series field coil of few turns and low resistance so as not" to build up a large counter electromotive force, is placed in the circuit controlled by switch 64 and contact 65. Under these condltlons,

, and machine 12 placed in circuit therewith and with the field coil 125 thereof. This will result almost in short circuiting the ma chine 12, thus powerfully braking the gyroscope and at the same time assisting in driving the rotor by assisting in driving generator 112.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, to gethor with the apparatus, which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted and some of the features of each modification may be embodied in the others without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a gyroscopic stabilizer, of a spinning motor and a precession motor therefor, a generator for each of said motors, a common means for rotation of said generators, and means varying the relative field strengths of the precession motor and its generator for causing said motor to assist the prime mover during a predetermined portion of the precessional cycle.

2. The combination with a gyroscopic'stabilizer, of a spinning motor and a precession motor therefor, a generator for each of said motors, a common prime mover for said generators, and means for converting said precession motor into a. generator both to brake the gyroscope and assist the prime mover.

3. The combination with a gyroscopic stabilizer, of a spinning motor and a precession motor therefor, a generator for each of said motors, a common prime mover for said generators, and means rendered efiective by a predetermined degree of oscillation of said gyroscope for varying the relative field strengths of the precession motor and its generator for causing said precession motor a to brake the gyroscope and assist the prime mover.

1. The combination with a gyroscopic stabilizer, of a spinning motor and a precession motor therefor, a separate generator for each of said motors, a common prime mover for said generators, and means for rendering the field strength of the generator for the precession motor relatively low to brake the gyroscope and assist the prime mover by the regenerative action of the precession motor.

5. The combination with a gyroscopic stabilizer, of a spinning motor and a precession motor therefor, a generator for each of said motors, a common prime mover for said generators, and means rendered effective by a predetermined degree of oscillation of the gyroscope to reduce the field strength of the generator for the precession motor for causing said precession motor to brakethe gyroscope and assist the prime mover.

6. In a gyroscopic stabilizer, the combination with the rotor, of a motor for driving the same, a precession motor for the stabilizer, a separate generator for each of said motors, a common prime mover for said generators, and means for altering the connection of said precession motor and its generator to retard the precession by causing said precession motor to act as a generator to assist in driving said rotor.

In a gyr-osc-opic stabilizer, the combination with the rotor, of an A. C. motor for driving the same, a D. C. precession motor for the stabilizer, a generator for each of said motors, a common prime mover for said generators, and means for altering the connection of said precession motor and its generator to retard the precession by causing said precession motor to act as a generator to assist in driving said rotor.

In'testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

HERBERT H. THOMPSON. 

